ACT NO. 4054 - AN ACT TO PROMOTE
THE WELL-BEING OF TENANTS (APARCEROS) IN AGRICULTURAL LANDS DEVOTED TO
THE PRODUCTION OF RICE AND TO REGULATE THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THEM AND
THE LANDLORDS OF SAID LANDS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

PART I
Share tenancy contract in general

Section 1. Title of Act. — This Act shall be known as
"The Philippine Rice Share
Tenancy Act."

Sec. 2. Share tenancy Contracts defined. — A
contract of share of tenancy is one whereby a partnership between a
landlord and a tenant is entered into, for a joint pursuit of rice
agricultural work with common interest in which both parties divide
between them the resulting profits as well as the losses.

Sec. 3. Landlord and tenant interpreted. — For the
purposes of this Act, the word "landlord" shall mean and includes
either a natural or juridical person who is the real owner of the land
which is the subject-matter of the contract, as well as a lessee, a
usufructuary or any other legitimate possessor of agricultural land
cultivated by another; and the word "tenant" shall mean a farmer or
farm laborer who undertakes to work and cultivate land for another or a
person who furnishes the labor.

Sec. 4. Form of contract. — The contract on share
tenancy, in order to be valid and binding, shall be drawn in triplicate
in the language or dialect known to all the parties thereto, to be
signed or thumb-marked both by the landlord or his authorized
representative and by the tenant, before two witnesses, one to be
chosen by each party. The party who does not know how to read and write
may request one of the witnesses to read the contents of the document.
Each of the contracting parties shall retain a copy of the contract and
the third copy shall be filed with, and registered in the office of the
municipal treasurer of the municipality, where the land, which is the
subject-matter of the contract, is located: Provided, however, That in
order that a contract may be considered registered, both the copy of
the landlord and that of the tenant shall contain an annotation made by
the municipal treasurer to the effect that same is registered in his
office.

Sec. 5. Registry of tenancy contract. — For the
purposes of this Act, the municipal treasurer of the municipality
wherein the land, which is the subject-matter of a contract, is
situated, shall keep a record of all contracts made within his
jurisdiction, to be known as Registry of Tenancy Contracts. He shall
keep this registry together with a copy of each contract entered
therein, and make annotations on said registry in connection with the
outcome of a particular contract, such as the way same is extinguished:
Provided, however, That the municipal treasurer shall not charge fees
for the registration of said contract which shall be exempt from the
documentary stamp tax.

Sec. 6. Duration of contract. — Any contract on
rice tenancy entered into between landlord and tenant or farm laborer
according to this Act shall last in accordance with the stipulation of
the parties: Provided, however, That in the absence of stipulation,
same shall be understood to last only during one agricultural year:
Provided, further, That unless the contract is renewed in writing and
registered as provided in section four hereof within thirty days after
the expiration of the original period, the same shall be presumed to be
extinguished: Provided, finally, That in case of renewing the contract
without changing the stipulations therein it is sufficient that the
municipal treasurer shall annotate the word "renewed" in the three
copies of the contract and in the Registry of Tenancy Contracts.

For the purposes of this section, one agricultural year shall mean the
length of time necessary for the preparation of the land, sowing,
planting and harvesting a crop, although it may be shorter or longer
than a calendar year.

Sec. 7. Rules governing tenancy contracts. — In
any contract of tenancy mentioned in this Act, the contracting parties
shall be free to enter into any or all kinds of agreement or
stipulations so long as they are not contrary to existing laws,
customs, morals and public policy: Provided, That such contract shall
be conclusive evidence of what has been agreed upon between the
contracting parties, if their stipulations are not denounced or
impugned within thirty days from its registration in the office of the
municipal treasurer, as provided in section five of this Act.

Sec. 8. Share basis. — In the absence of any
written agreement to the contrary and when the necessary implements and
the work animals are furnished by the tenant; and the expenses for
planting, harvesting, threshing, irrigation and fertilizer, if any, as
well as other expenses incident to the proper cultivation of the land,
are born equally by both the landlord and tenant, the crop shall be
divided equally. The division shall be made in the same place where the
crop has been threshed and each party shall transport his share to his
warehouse, unless the contrary is stipulated by the parties: Provided,
however, That when the landlord furnishes the work animal gratuitously
it shall be deemed as a special consideration, and the tenant shall be
obliged to transport the share of the landlord to his warehouse if it
is within the municipality where the land cultivated is situated.

Sec. 9. Auxiliary industry. — In the absence of
any written agreement to the contrary, the profits of any other
industry carried on the holding for the common benefit shall belong in
equal shares to both landlord and tenant, after making the necessary
deduction for expenses which shall be returned to the party who
advanced it.

Auxiliary industry shall not, however, be construed to include the
crops or products raised from a garden, poultry, and such other
industries carried on a lot specially provided for the residence of the
tenant.

PART II
Accounts and their liquidation

Sec. 10. Loans. — All advances obtained by the
tenant from the landlord in connection with the cultivation, planting,
harvesting, and such other incidental expenses for the improvement of
the crop planted, shall bear interest not exceeding ten per centum per
agricultural year and shall be evidenced by a written contract to this
effect, otherwise they shall not bear any interest: Provided, however,
That on all loans other than money, such as grain or other agricultural
products made to the tenant by the landlord, no interest in excess of
ten per centum shall be added to the invoice price of the article thus
loaned, and any inflation of the original price of said article shall
be considered as usurious and penalized according to the provisions of
the Usury Law.

Sec. 11. Limit of loans. — The limit of the loan
that can be requested by a tenant shall be fifty per centum of the
average yearly tenant's share on the particular piece of land allotted
to said tenant for cultivation during the last three years: Provided,
That in the case of land to be cultivated for the first time, the limit
of the loan shall depend upon the agreement of the parties until the
third year.

Sec. 12. Memorandum of advances. — Any obligation
referring to any amount, either in money or in kind, which the tenant
may have received in advance from time to time from the landlord, shall
be unenforceable by action unless the same; or some note or memorandum
thereof, be in writing, in a language or dialect known to the party
charged, and subscribed by the said party, or by his agent. Said
memorandum or note shall be signed by both parties and made in
duplicate, one copy to remain with the landlord and the other with the
tenant.

Sec. 13. Form of final accounting. — The final
accounting between landlord and tenant at the end of each agricultural
year, shall be effected within fifteen days after the threshing of the
harvested crop and the same shall be made to appear on a note or
memorandum written in a language known to the tenant and signed by both
parties in the presence of two witnesses, who shall be selected by each
party. Each of the contracting parties shall be furnished with a copy
of said note or memorandum, and such final accounting, once duly signed
by both parties and two witnesses, shall be deemed conclusive evidence
of its contents, except in case of fraud.

Sec. 14. Settlement of debts. — Once the
accounting is made, any amount of money which the landlord may have
advanced to the tenant as expenses of cultivation or for his own
private use, as well as any amount of grain or agricultural products
advanced for his support and that of his family, shall be paid by the
tenant out of his share, except fifteen per centum of same which is
hereby declared exempt from the landlord's lien: Provided, That such
grain or agricultural products shall be appraised in money according to
their current market value at the place where the land is located at
the time of their delivery to the tenant: Provided, further, That in
case his share is not sufficient, his outstanding debt shall be reduced
in money and shall bear an interest of not more than twelve per centum
per annum: And provided, finally, That the remaining debt of the tenant
once converted into money shall not again be converted into kind. Said
outstanding debt may, however, be paid in money or in agricultural
products appraised at the current market price at the time of payment.

Sec. 15. Use of official measurement. — In all
transactions entered into between landlords and tenants on agricultural
products, whether contracting a debt or making payment thereof, the
official measure of the Government shall be used.

PART III
Rights and obligations of landlord

Sec. 16. Landlord as manager. — For the purpose of
this Act, the management of the farm rests with the landlord, to be
exercised either directly or indirectly, through a
representative.

Sec. 17. Special lien on share of tenant. — The
landlord shall have a special and preferential lien over the share of
the tenant in the product of the farm cultivated by him: Provided,
however, That such lien over the product of the farm shall be
enforceable only to as much as eighty-five per centum of the total
share of the tenant in case the latter has an outstanding debt after
the accounting is made.

Sec. 18. Land taxes, burden and contribution. —
The landlord shall be responsible for the payment of taxes imposed by
the Government upon the land which is the subject matter of the
contract and it shall be illegal to make the tenant bear a part of such
tax, burden and contribution, either directly or indirectly.

Sec. 19. Landlord cannot dismiss his tenant for
good causes. — The landlord shall not dismiss his tenant without just
and reasonable cause, otherwise the former shall be liable to the
latter for losses and damages to the extent of his share in the product
of the farm entrusted to the dismissed tenant.

Any one of the following shall be considered just and reasonable cause
for dismissing a tenant by the landlord before the expiration of the
period:

(1) Gross
misconduct or willful disobedience on the
part of the tenant to the orders of the landlord or of his
representative in connection with his work.

(2) Negligence on the part of the tenant to do the
necessary farm work expected of him so as to insure a good harvest.

(3) Non-compliance with any of the obligations
imposed upon the tenant by this Act or by the contract.

(4) Fraud or breach of trust in connection with work
entrusted to him.

(5) When the tenant leases it or lets to another the
use of the land entrusted to him by the landlord, without the consent
of the latter.

(6) Commission of a crime against the person of the
landlord or his representative, or any member of the family of the same.

PART IV
Rights and obligations of a tenant

Sec. 20. Freedom of tenant at certain time. — The
tenant shall be free to work elsewhere during the intervals of the
working season in the farm where he is a tenant: Provided, That if he
is requested by the landlord to perform other work not connected with
his duties as tenant, he shall be paid accordingly by said landlord,
unless otherwise stipulated in the contract.

Sec. 21. Right of tenant in case of dismissal. —
In case of dismissal the tenant shall not be dispossessed of the land
he cultivates until he is previously reimbursed of his advances if any,
incurred in the cultivation, planting or harvesting, and such other
incidental expenses for the improvement of the crop cultivated, even if
such dismissal is for just cause.

Sec. 22. Lot for dwelling. — The tenant shall be
entitled to construct a dwelling on the land cultivated by him, if he
so chooses, and once a dwelling is constructed, he shall also be
entitled to a fixed residential lot if there is any available, not
exceeding ten per centum of the total area cultivated by him, but in no
case shall it exceed five hundred square meters, wherein he can have a
garden, poultry and such other minor industries necessary for his
livelihood: Provided, however, That the tenant shall be given
forty-five days within which to remove his house from the land of the
landlord in case of cancellation of the contract of tenancy for any
reason: Provided, however, That in case he fails to devote the lot
allotted him for the purposes herein mentioned for a period of six
months, it shall revert again to the cultivation of rice.

Sec. 23. Standard of conduct to be observed by
tenant. — The tenant shall be under obligation to cultivate the farm as
a good father of the family, by doing all the work necessary to obtain
the greatest possible returns from the farm entrusted to him, such as
the proper preparation of the soil, the cutting of shrubs and grasses
that may be growing on the land as well as the repair of dikes.

The tenant shall also be obliged to take reasonable care of the work
animals that may be delivered to him by the landlord, otherwise, he
shall be liable for their death or physical incapacity by reason of his
negligence.

The tenant shall likewise be liable for any damage caused by his animal
for letting it loose, in case it feeds upon or destroys the crop of
another.

Sec. 24. Trespass by third person. — The tenant
shall inform the landlord at once of any trespass committed by a third
person upon the farm entrusted to him, otherwise it may be considered
as negligence on his part.

Sec. 25. Tenant cannot leave landlord at any time
except for good cause. — The tenant cannot leave his landlord without
just and reasonable cause, otherwise the former shall be liable to the
latter for losses and damages to the extent of eighty-five per cent of
his share in the product of the farm cultivated by him.

Any one of the following shall be considered just and reasonable cause
on the part of the tenant for leaving the service before the expiration
of the period:

(1) Cruel and
inhuman treatment on the part of the
landlord or his representative toward the tenant or his family.

(2) Non-compliance on the part of the landlord with
any of the obligations imposed upon him by the provisions of this Act
or by the contract.

(3) Compelling the tenant to do any work against his
will, which is not in any way connected with his farm work nor
stipulated in the contract.

(4) Commission of a crime by the landlord against the
person of the tenant, or any member of the family of the latter.

PART V
Extinguishing of contract

Sec. 26. How extinguished. — The contract of farm
tenancy is extinguished:

(1) At the end
of each agricultural year, unless
otherwise stipulated by the parties.

(2) By the agreement of the parties.

(3) By the death or physical incapacity of the tenant
or farmer, in which case his heirs if any, shall be given a
proportional share in the products in accordance with the service
rendered by the deceased.

(4) By the sale or alienation of the land which is
the subject matter of the contract, in which case the purchaser shall
assume the rights and obligations of the former landlord in relation
with the tenant or farmer.

(5) When the estate is no longer fit for agriculture
or becomes public property.

(6) By merger in the same person of the personality
of landlord and tenant and tenant or landlord and farmer.

PART VI
Penal and final provisions

Sec. 27. Violations. — All violations of the
provisions of this Act involving deceit, malice, or fraud shall be
punished in accordance with article three hundred and eighteen of the
Revised Penal Code.

If the violation is committed by means of falsification or alteration
of private documents, the provisions of article one hundred and
seventy-two of the same Code shall be applied.

Sec. 28. Repealing provisions. — All laws or parts
of laws inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed.

Sec. 29. Final provisions. — This Act shall be
applicable to the relations between landlords and tenants of rice lands
only, and shall take effect on May first, nineteen hundred and
thirty-three: Provided, however, That this Act shall take effect only
in the provinces where the majority of the municipal councils shall, by
resolution, have petitioned for its application to the
Governor-General, who thereupon shall, by proclamation, fix the date
when this law shall take effect in said provinces: And provided,
further, That this Act shall be translated into the dialects of the
localities to which its provisions shall apply, and a sufficient number
of copies shall be printed for free distribution by the municipal
treasurer concerned to the persons asking for them.